Behind performance lies, above all, a human adventure.
After an encouraging Test Day, capped by the fastest LMP2 lap of the afternoon session, IDEC SPORT now enters the heart of its Le Mans week. With sporting ambitions, the welcome of more than 1,200 guests, the presence of Groupe IDEC employees and several partner associations, Team Principal Nicolas Minassian reflects on the many challenges surrounding the 2026 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Test Day ended with the fastest time of the afternoon session. What lessons do you take from this first day?
The lap time is obviously positive, but it is not our main takeaway. Test Day is first and foremost a working day. The objective is to get the entire team back into the rhythm of Le Mans, validate our procedures, confirm our technical choices and gather as much data as possible.
What satisfies me most is the quality of the work carried out by the drivers, engineers and mechanics. We completed our entire programme, the car performed perfectly, and we leave with a solid foundation for the rest of the week.
From today, Le Mans week truly enters its active phase. How is the team approaching this major event?
With a great deal of focus, but also a lot of enthusiasm. Le Mans is a race like no other. We think about it all year long. Every member of the team knows what they have to do, but we also know that nothing is ever guaranteed here.
The next few days will be crucial. We will continue working on the setup, prepare for qualifying, manage the night sessions and refine our strategy. The objective remains the same: arrive on Saturday as well prepared as possible to face twenty-four hours of racing.
This week, IDEC SPORT will welcome a lot of guests. Why is that important for the team?
Because the 24 Hours of Le Mans are about much more than sporting performance. It is an exceptional event that brings together people from very different backgrounds around a shared passion and common values.
We are fortunate to be able to open the doors of our world to partners, clients, prospects and many guests who are sometimes discovering the behind-the-scenes of motorsport for the first time. Giving them that experience is both a responsibility and a source of pride.
We want them to understand everything that lies behind a car taking the start: the work, the commitment, the preparation, the discipline and, above all, the team spirit.ler des personnes venues d’horizons très différents autour d’une même passion et de valeurs communes.
Many Groupe IDEC employees will also be present at Le Mans. What message would you like to share with them?
I hope they fully enjoy this immersion and recognize, within an endurance racing team, the same values that make Groupe IDEC strong every day.
An endurance team operates through trust, complementary skills and the ability of every individual to perform at their best when it matters most. Ultimately, these are principles that also apply within a company.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans provide a very tangible illustration of these values. Everyone has a specific role, everyone is important, and success depends on the group’s ability to move forward together towards a common objective.
Three associations supporting children will be welcomed on Wednesday. What does this moment represent for you?
It is probably one of the most important moments of the week.
We often talk about performance, results and technology, but we also have the opportunity to share this adventure with young people who may never have imagined experiencing an event like the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Seeing their faces when they discover the cars, the garages and the drivers is always something very special. If this visit can spark a passion, inspire a vocation or simply create a memory that stays with them for years, then we will already have achieved something meaningful.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans are often seen as a technological competition. How important is the human factor in performance?
It is absolutely central.
Technology is essential, of course. The cars are becoming increasingly sophisticated and data plays a major role in performance. But in the end, it is always people who make the decisions.
A strategy call, a pit stop, adapting to changing weather conditions or reacting to an incident on track all depend first and foremost on the skills and experience of the team. Endurance racing is probably one of the disciplines where the human dimension remains the most important.
What can a company learn from a team competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
A great deal.
The ability to prepare for a long-term objective, to work collectively under pressure, to make quick decisions while remaining clear-headed, to adapt to the unexpected and to maintain a high level of performance over an extended period of time.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans are an incredible laboratory for management and collective performance. You find all the challenges companies face, condensed into an extremely intense environment.
Between qualifying, Hyperpole and the race itself, what will be the key factor this week?
Control.
We will need to be fast, of course, but above all we must remain disciplined in every area. Le Mans rarely rewards the most spectacular team. On the other hand, it often rewards the team that makes the fewest mistakes and manages to maintain its performance level for twenty-four hours.
That balance is exactly what we will be striving for throughout the week.
If you had to summarize what this week represents for IDEC SPORT in one sentence
It is the culmination of a year of preparation, but also an incredible human adventure that we are fortunate to share with our drivers, partners, employees, guests and everyone who supports us in this pursuit of performance.
“Behind performance, there is first and foremost a human story.”
The Week’s Schedule
- Tuesday, June 9: Pit Stop Challenge
- Wednesday, June 10: Free Practice 1, Qualifying 1, Free Practice 2
- Thursday, June 11: Free Practice 3, Hyperpole 1 and Hyperpole 2, Free Practice 4
- Friday, June 12: Parade
- Saturday, June 13: Start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (4:00 p.m.)
- Sunday, June 14: Finish of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (4:00 p.m.)
Experience the 24 Hours of Le Mans as if you were on board
For the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, IDEC SPORT offers you an exceptional immersive experience: follow the entire event via the live onboard camera aboard car #28, driven by Paul Lafargue, Job Van Uitert, and Valerio Rinicella.
